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Bamtori Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
You wouldn't be stalking me, would you?
"Kristina, good to see you. Not unless, you wouldn't be stalking me, would you? Since we're dating and all. Please tell me you're not the jealous type."
Teachers, please help me with this use of would. I don't understand why the modal would was used here. Is it assumption or hypothetical conditional sentence? Thanks!
Teachers, please help me with this use of would. I don't understand why the modal would was used here. Is it assumption or hypothetical conditional sentence? Thanks!
Top answer
". It's not uncommon to use "would" like this to make questions and statements more indirect or elaborate: "I wouldn't know" instead of "I don't know", for example.
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- It's not uncommon to use "would" like this to make questions and statements more indirect or elaborate: "I wouldn't know" instead of "I don't know", for example.
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2 Answers
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It's just a more roundabout and less direct way of asking "you aren't stalking me, are you?".
It's not uncommon to use "would" like this to make questions and statements more indirect or elaborate: "I wouldn't know" instead of "I don't know", for example.
It's not uncommon to use "would" like this to make questions and statements more indirect or elaborate: "I wouldn't know" instead of "I don't know", for example.
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Thank you so much, Mr Wordy! I think I read something like your explantion from some English grammar book, maybe Practical English Usage, I guess.
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